Beverage, punch-type can opener



Oct. 31, 1961 s. G. GRIFFIN 3,

BEVERAGE, PUNCH-TYPE CAN OPENER Filed Nov. 5. 1959 INVENTOR GERALD G GRIFFIN ATTORNEY 3,006,071 BEVERAGE, PUNCH-TYPE CAN OPENER Gerald G. Griflin, Delaware County, Pa. (524 Brookview Lane, Brookline, Havertown, Pa.)

Filed Nov. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 851,160 1 Claim. (Cl. 30-16) This invention relates to can openers and in particular to an improvement on openers of the fiat, punch-type class used to produce a pouring opening in the top of bead edge cans made for dispensing beer and other liquid beverages sold to consumers for drinking in the many, many places where the conventional punch-type opener may not be readily available.

It is, therefore, the prime objective of my invention to provide users of canned beverages with a novel, simple, practical press-on, pull-off convex-o (semi-circular) punch-type opener which can be instantly attached to and/or detached from the can. Such an opener is semiloss proof in that it can be snugly fitted to a beverage can until ready for opening by sportsmen, picnickers and householders who may not otherwise have a can opener available.

The second major objective of my invention is to provide manufacturers of beverage cans, as well as beverage canners, with a unique and entirely new punchtype opener which can become the theme for a new and difierent advertising promotion which will stimulate the sale of cans for beverage purposes and/or the sale of canned beverages to the consumer who never seems able to find the right kind of can opener at the right time.

A third major objective of the invention is to eliminate the danger hazard currently associated with the usual fiat type openers carelessly left in open spaces where they can cause bodily or property damage to persons and objects coming into accidental contact with same.

These and other advantages the invention attains by the design and stamping methods hereinafter described and illustrated FIG. 1 is a top perspective of the improved new convex-o punch-type can opener indicating the simple, finger action movement by which the opener can be attached to and/or removed from beverage can.

FIG. 2 is a side view of conventional beverage can showing convex-o punch-type opener, finger-pressed into position, waiting to be used.

FIG. 3 shows the simple handle-like position in which the convex-o punch-type opener can be placed to make the triangular cut in top of can.

The beverage can used in illustrating the device is the conventional type, about 8%" in circumference and 4%" high, with side and top metals united by a bead having a downwardly positioned shoulder ending at approximately the same level as can top.

The improved convex-o punch-type opener is made of heat-treated metal with sufficient springing qualities to permit the user of the opener to gently slip it around the metal side of the can, just below the bead, where it looks as though it is held intposition by some magnetic attraction. The metal used in the openers is about 1 in thickness, depending on the size of the can, but in no instance should it be necessary to make it of a greater United States Patent 0 thickness than the can head under 'which it will be housed until used. The convex-o punch-type opener and handle is stamped from a sin le piece of metal, 5 /2 long and /8 wide and formed in a convex-o shape. The bead engaging lug element, punched into the opener just be low the sharp-edged, downwardly curved, triangular cutting point, provides the necessary pressure for keeping the opener snugly atlixed to the can during packing, nesting and shipment of same.

To open the can, simply place the punch-type cutting edge of the opener against fiat top surface of can, positioning the conventional hooking element under the can head, then pullup-on the handle, the other end of which touches the side of the can to give balance to the opening device until it is used.

The punch type can opener comprises a strap body 10 bent into arch shape along its length with a struck out bead engaging lug 11 adjacent to and spaced from one end of the strap body 10, The said one end is provided with a sharpened cutter portion 12 extending beyond the bead engaging lug 11 for punching the end of the can 13 to be opened.

The opener is operated by causing the lug 11 to engage the head 14 of the can as shown in FIG. 3 and by pivotal movement of the arch shaped body 12' about the bead l4 and lug 11 a punching force is applied to the pointed cutter portion 12 thereby punching an opening in the can.

The strap body 10 is of a length and curvature from the lug 11 to the other end 15 to encompass at least half of acylindrical can with which it is used whereby the opener will seat upon and grip the outer circumference of the can and be retained on the can.

It will be apparent that changes can be made in the manufacture of the opener in accordance with the invention within the valid scope of the claim.

I claim:

A punch type can opener comprising a strap body bent into arch shape along its length, a can head engaging lug adjacent one end of the strap body and extending toward said one end of the strap body for engaging the can bead, said one end of said strap body having a cutter portion extending beyond said lug for punching the end of the can to be opened, said cutter being sharpened, said opener being operative when the opener is pivoted about the lug in engagement with the bead of a can to produce punching force on the extremity of the cutter thereby punching an opening in the end of the can, said strap body being of a length and curvature to normally encompass at least half of a cylindrical can of a diameter substantially the diameter of the curvature of the arch shaped body whereby the opener 'will seat upon and grip the outer circumference of the can to be retained on the can.

References (Jited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,569,905 Schwark Oct. 2, 1951 2,765,530 Kohnen Oct. 9, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 600,591 Great Britain Apr. 13, 1948 

